“What criteria are you using to determine that it is not your responsibility to act?”- Lieutenant General & Canadian Senator Romeo A. Dallaire, quoted by Rebecca Davis, 1/16/14

What can one person do about the suffering of children in war zones? What does dance have to contribute to the needs of the world—isn’t it one of the fine arts that are leisure entertainments for the wealthy? When she was in her early 20s, Rebecca Davis visited Rwanda and was amazed to find street children – with no home, no parents, no safe water – expressing joy through hip hop dance. From that encounter was born the Rebecca Davis Dance Company (RDDC). By teaching under-served children, ages 10-19, through the cognitive tools developed in dance, RDDC builds a platform on which to teach other skills, such as IT, language, literacy, and ethnic reconciliation. This non-profit group carries out its mission with foreign partner organizations in countries such as Rwanda, Guinea, and Bosnia-Herzegovina; our very own Honors alumna, Tessa Adzemovic has been involved since her graduation in 2009. Not afraid to push the boundaries of the medium, RDDC has performed pieces on the Enron scandal and genocide in Darfur, bringing to light areas demanding social change.

Join us to meet Rebecca Davis and hear how she answered the call to action by dancing in war zones.